Author Archives: Dan Lentell

+3 Interview: Raton Laveur

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2017, Plus 3 2017 - Features by

“The company is really a one man band, but with outstanding artists who come in and assist on each project.”

WHO:  Ben Noble, Actor/Producer

WHAT: “Phil and Lily have moved to Toronto from Australia to pursue Lily’s dreams. Phil, finding himself at loose ends, becomes obsessed with the nest of raccoons living behind the crêperie where he works. As Phil descends deeper into paranoia things take a violent turn, and Lily is left cleaning up the mess. Raton Laveur is a comedy about love, relationships, and knives that cut through bone. ‘Comedies don’t get much blacker than this.”

WHERE: Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) 

WHEN: 14:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s my first time as a performer. I’ve worked the festival previously, watching performers go on the rollercoaster of emotions and always thought, that looked like fun so am excited to be here in this extraordinary city with everyone doing this fabulous play.

Tell us about your show.

Raton Laveur is a fast paced black comedy theatre show, originally from Canada. Written by Amos Crawley, David Patrick Flemming & Caitlin Stewart, it is a combination of many things. A thriller about a man grappling with his decreasing grip on reality, an ill-fated love story, a darkly humorous observation of the human psyche.

An Australian couple move to Toronto. One believes raccoons are following him. Drama and comedy ensue.

I was luckily enough to see the Canadian production where I shared belly laughs and gasps with the audience and thought let’s do this show with my company back in Australia, Fairly Lucid Productions.
We have performed three seasons of Raton Laveur (which means Raccoon in french) in Australia and this is a new production, with a new creative team that we have banded together for our UK Debut.
The company is really a one man band, but with outstanding artists who come in and assist on each project. And we are very lucky to be still producing work after 12 years.

Raton Laveur has been waiting in the shadows, like the Raccoon King himself, ready for it’s time to come to Edinburgh and from here, you never know.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

I would either stay at the Roxy and catch Scribble straight after us or take a quick stroll over to George Square to see Blank Tiles before a meal where you can digest both shows and discuss those experiences.

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+3 Interview: Fish Finger Fridays: Fun Time Friends

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2017, Plus 3 2017 - Features by

“The prospect of spending summer doing anything other than flyering in the rain, sharing a room for a month and eating 90% of our meals at Piemaker was absolutely unthinkable.”

WHO: Ollie Jones-Evans, Performer, motivator, friend

WHAT: “Hot, new(ish) comedy trio are back in Edinburgh with a playful new sketch show. Bored of white guys? They’ve got an Asian man! Bored of men? They’ve got a lady! (Note: There’s also a white man.) 2017 Leicester Square Theatre Sketch Off Semi-Finalists (pretty close).”

WHERE: Black Market (Venue 399) ​

WHEN: 17:10 (60 min)

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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It will be our third time performing sketch-comedy together in Edinburgh in one guise or another. We’re in a love/hate relationship with the Fringe. And each other. Mostly it’s love.

We brought a Fish Finger Fridays show up last year on the Free Fringe and had an amazing time. The prospect of spending summer doing anything other than flyering in the rain, sharing a room for a month and eating 90% of our meals at Piemaker was absolutely unthinkable.

Tell us about your show.

We’re Anna Harris, Rajiv Karia and Ollie Jones-Evans. We all met years ago at Bristol University when we were young, fresh faced and prone to writing very silly sketches. Now we’re a bit older, haggard in the facial area and still love a silly, silly sketch.

Before Edinburgh we had a great time at the Brighton Fringe, packing out the place for every show which was absolutely lovely. We’ve have been previewing in Bristol and London over June and July and are itching to get started.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

There’s gonna be plenty of absolute corkers this year, but we’re looking forward to Matt Ewins, Patrick Turpin and Rose Matafeo. They’re all acts that will pop corks left right and centre.

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+3 Interview: Will Duggan: Perspicuator

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2017, Plus 3 2017 - Features by

“This is not my first rodeo.”

WHO: Will Duggan, Overlord

WHAT: “In a world mired in issue, who’s our secular Messiah? Will Duggan. Join him on another ‘must-see for comedy aficionados’ (EdFestMag.com) as he solves it all, no mess, no fuss, no problem. What a legend he/I is/am. You may know Will from Fosters award-winning Funz and Gamez, his 2016 show A Man Gathering Fish or those naughty dreams you sometimes have.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic at The Mash House (Venue 288)

WHEN: 17:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is not my first rodeo. I’ve been coming up to the Fringe since 2011. I’ve done split shows, package shows, am part of the wonderful Funz and Gamez in which I play a cynical man dressed as a dog, and this is my second solo show. My first one last year was so much fun that I felt honour bound to come again, and blow me down, I only done gone did it.

Tell us about your show.

I wrote this show with a little help from all the things that have happened to me this year. I’m self producing because I always think that if a thing’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing to the point of complete mental exhaustion. I’ve done previews up and down the country to a range of very happy, to very unhappy audiences. Ideally after the Fringe I’ll be too busy being the next Bond to do it anywhere else, however in reality I hope to take it around a few smaller venues across the UK. But we shall see.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

A therapist.

Nah, just kidding. There’s so much good stuff, I think people should go and see some of everything. Go and see something you hate. Last year I went to see some ballet, which I was livid about, ended up loving it. Been to three since. Wonderful artistic me. Great comics to go see are Kiri Pritchard McLean, Geins Family Giftshop, Rachel Fairburn, George Rigden, Jordan Brookes, Phil Ellis, Jim Meehan, Fin Taylor. Just so many.

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+3 Interview: The Stuntman

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2017, Plus 3 2017 - Features by

“I’ve performed at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Camden Fringe and Brighton Fringe and it is a dream to finally make it to Edinburgh.”

WHO: Nathan Lang, Writer/performer

WHAT: “Professional idiot Nathan Lang tells the high-energy, surreal tale of complete idiot The Stuntman through clowning, characters, physical comedy and real onstage stunts… Evel Knievel meets Wile E. Coyote in Technicolor?! Debut solo show from the host of London’s beloved alternative comedy night Lost Cabaret, half of sketch comedy duo Jon & Nath, co-founder of clown company Farce Forward, and stage and screen actor from Australia to the UK.”

WHERE: Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters (Venue 272)

WHEN: 13:30 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes, this is my Edinburgh debut and my first solo show. I’ve been working as an actor and comedian in Australia for many years and since moving to the UK I’ve been working towards this. I’ve performed at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Camden Fringe and Brighton Fringe and it is a dream to finally make it to Edinburgh. My in-laws are coming from Glasgow to judge me really hard so I am not afraid of critics.

Tell us about your show.

The Stuntman is a physical comedy show – Evel Knievel crossed with Wile E. Coyote in Technicolor™ – and after many London previews Edinburgh is its world premiere. The character began in a Spymonkey clowning workshop then I devised the show with director Dan Lees (from The Establishment). Dan has taught me clowning before so he’s seen me at my best and my worst. We created this high-energy story about a lovable idiot who never stops being a daredevil – told through characters, clowning, mime and real onstage stunts. It’s really silly, moving and super fun. I will take The Stuntman to Brighton Fringe next year and, as it’s largely non-verbal and accessible regardless of language, I also plan to tour it internationally.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

I’d like to turn this question on its head and suggest what you should see BEFORE my show… Jon & Nath Like To Party is my sketch comedy show and it runs 3-13 August, 1.30pm @ The Free Sisters. It is also free. It has crackling satire, outrageous characters and impressions, dancing that should never be seen, some pretty hardcore physical comedy (we are keeping an official slap-o-meter) and the hottest Jehovah’s Witness act in town. It’s very high-energy and we mess each other up pretty good by the end, for everyone’s delight. In other words, we have become experts in fast-turnaround laundry techniques.

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+3 Interview: Curse of the Mummy

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2017, Plus 3 2017 - Features by

“We were sick of going to auditions to be footballer number 5.”

WHO: Sam Dunham, writer/actor/producer

WHAT: “From creators of smash hits Dracula: Sex, Sucking and Stardom and Frankenstein: Unbolted, comes a tale from the darkest depths of Ancient Egypt. Our unwitting hero, Montana Jones, is on a quest for archaeological eminence. However, a love-cursed Mummy and a Nazi spy threaten to destroy everything! This ancient legend is unwrapped, revitalised and whipped up with mischievous musical mash-ups and outrageous humour. A frenetic hour of riotous theatre comedy.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic at The Caves (Venue 88)

WHEN: 19:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is the third time Last Chance Saloon have been to the fringe. We previously performed ‘Dracula: Sex, Sucking & Stardom’ and ‘Frankenstein: UnBolted.’ ‘Curse of the Mummy’ however is going to be our biggest show yet, with more characters, more costume changes, more comedy and more seats to sell than ever before. We’re really looking forward to the rest of the month and if past experience has taught us anything, it’s taught us to stock up on vitamins, fruit and Vocalzone. And maybe some beer.

Tell us about your show.

Our show is ‘Curse of the Mummy’ and it was written by us, produced by us and barring any major fall outs, performed by us. Our story focuses on a young intrepid but ultimately useless explorer called Montana Jones as he goes on a quest to discover ancient relics and ruins. However, not all goes to plan, as he encounters a gold obsessed Nazi and has to chase him across Egypt while simultaneously attempting to save the world from a love Cursed Mummy.

Last Chance Saloon were formed 6 years ago because basically no one wanted to employ us and cause we were sick of going to auditions to be footballer number 5. This way, by creating our own work, we at least get to be making the comedy theatre that we want to be a part of and that we think audiences would love. Even if we’re not getting rich by doing so. But so far, we’ve had fun, got some great reviews and entertained lots of people, so long may it continue.

We previewed the show in London in July, testing it out in front of a friendly couple of audiences and then after Edfringe we’ll be taking it to the London Horror Festival. Fingers crossed it’ll have a life after that but who knows what the future holds.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

Ah there are so many good shows out there that even we don’t know about! But we have kept our ears to the ground and have heard that Mini Mall Theatre have a fantastic show called ‘Ballistic’. There’s our best mates Swipe Right Theatre who are performing their sell out show ‘2 Become 1’ for the 3rd time at the Fringe and then there’s ‘Trygve vs a Baby’ which sounds so crazy that it might just be genius. Trygve is a brilliant clown and if you’ve seen any of his other shows you’ll know he’s one not to miss. But seriously, the only way to find out what to see is by talking to everyone else.

Word of mouth is so important in a festival like this and so if you see a show you like then spread the news and the love!

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+3 Interview: Tamar Broadbent: Get Ugly

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“…been here enough times to know to only pack waterproof shoes.”

WHO: Tamar Broadbent, Comedian / Songwriter / Performer

WHAT: “Did you know that when you go through a break-up you become 25% uglier? Newly single and living in the trendy part of town, Tamar is nervous about leaving the house. How do you become a strong, independent woman when your confidence deserts you and you’re too busy dodging hipsters, envying gym girls and just trying to keep body hair under control? Award-winning musical comedy about re-discovering your awesome-ness and embracing life without a filter.”

WHERE: Underbelly Med Quad (Venue 302) ​

WHEN: 17:30 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is my sixth year at the Edinburgh fringe festival. I have done five years of comedy and one year in a student play. I have a great feeling about this year though – I love performing my show Get Ugly, have been here enough times to know to only pack waterproof shoes, and am living with lovely people in a house that doesn’t appear yet to have any hell dimensions*.

*(Last year, we were in a property which had a ‘hell attic’ instead of a living room, mice, and where you could only take a shower if the oven was turned on. I’ll tell you more over a coffee sometime.)

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’16?

I finally got round to registering for a Flex Account. Other than that – I toured Get Ugly to Australia, joined improv team My Brother, Jose at the Free Association, wrote and performed the play Split with Emma Pritchard, wrote the musical Club Mexicano with John-Victor, and performed comedy all over the UK as well as in Guernsey, Berlin and Prague.

Tell us about your show.

Get Ugly is a musical comedy about life after a break up – with songs and stories about dodging hipsters, envying gym girls and desperately trying to keep body hair under control. It is written and performed by me, Tamar Broadbent (comedian and songwriter), and is being produced by the fantastic Jimmy Jewell. We have big plans for the show post-festival – it picked up a nomination for Best Comedy at Perth Fringeworld 2017, and we are looking into taking it over-other-seas in future, which is very exciting. Until then – come see it at the Underbelly Med Quad, 5.30pm!

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

I am most looking forward to watching Jacuzzi – the long-form, UCB-style improv extravaganza from the Free Association at 11pm, Pleasance Courtyard. If you come on 23rd, 25th or 27th, I’ll be joining the cast!

The other show I’ve been wanting to see for five years but have always clashed with is a cappella supergroup The Magnets – go see them for me and tell me how it is! I’ll be very jealous.

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+3 Interview: We Are Ian

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2017, Plus 3 2017 - Features by

“We’re still sorta learning the ropes.”

WHO: Nora, Dora and Kat, Performers

WHAT: “It’s 1989. Manchester. A frenzy of drugs, beats and bucket hats. Illegal raves and acid parties. Jumping up and down in a field and throwing two fingers to Thatcher… Remember it? Cus we don’t. We weren’t even born. But Ian was. Ian remembers. Ian reckons we’ve got fuck all now. So let’s go back to the 80’s, neck a brown biscuit and bounce around like idiots. Ian’s gonna show us how… The award-winning cult hit of 2016 is back.”

WHERE: Pleasance Dome (Venue 23) ​

WHEN: 22:00 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, we were up with the same show, WE ARE IAN, last year. It went down really well, and a couple of people told us we should go back this year. So we are. We hope that is was the right decision. Or else we’re going to be living off beans for the forseeable future.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’16?

Probably the biggest thing that’s happened to us, was when HOME in Manchester asked us to perform with them as part of their takeover of the River Stage at the National Theatre. Which is a pretty big thing. That, or we all enjoyed some massive sandwiches the other day. They were very big things.

Tell us about your show.

So our company is us three, Nora, Dora and Kat. We make, perform and produce all of our own work – we do get people in to give a helping hand occasionally when we can. We’re all really close mates so we decided to start performing together when we finished University. We’re still sorta learning the ropes. We premiered our show, WE ARE IAN, at the Fringe in 2016, and have been on a national tour with it over this past year, and we’re bringing it back! After the Fringe, we’re continuing the tour, going to Plymouth, Manchester, Sheffield and some other really fun places.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

Because our show is soundtracked completely with original tunes from the Acid House Movement in the late eighties, it will proper get you in the mood for going out and continuing the night. We’d probably recommend going out to somewhere like Sneaky Petes and having a dance. That or Pollyanna across the road from us at Paradise Palms is always really great, and always still going when we get out of our show.

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+3 Interview: Annie McGrath: Ambivert

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“The cast is absolutely sensational- a real pleasure to work with.”

WHO: Annie McGrath, Writer/performer

WHAT: “After last year’s joke did so well (Dave’s Top Ten Funniest Jokes of the Fringe 2016), Annie returns to Edinburgh with another one. Annie has written and performed on ITV2, Channel 4, BBC Radio 4 Extra and BBC Radio Wales.”

WHERE: Just the Tonic at The Mash House (Venue 288)

WHEN: 18:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

If only! This is my 9th Edinburgh fringe. I first went up in 2006 with a very questionable school play. Then for the three years I was at university, I was in a sketch group, The Leeds Tealights, with various brown-haired, white boys from the South. After university, Jack Barry (one of the Tealights) and I formed sketch duo Twins and wrote four fringe shows together. Last year was my first solo stand-up show; this year will be my second.

Tell us about your show.

My show is called ‘Annie McGrath: Ambivert’. The cast is absolutely sensational- a real pleasure to work with. The show is produced by Plosive Productions, a company set up by the brilliant Ben Williams, former comedy critic at Time Out. Before Edinburgh, I previewed the show in London, Kent, Buxton, Northampton & Bath. I’m sure I’ll do it again in London after the fringe.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

I saw a preview of David Trent’s show at ARG Fest and it was great. He is a funny man.

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+3 Interview: Olaf Falafel Presents: The Marmosets of My Mind

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2017, Plus 3 2017 - Features by

“The new show is more good clean stupid surreal fun.”

WHO: Olaf Falafel, Comedian

WHAT: “Back with another hour of surreal stupidity. Who knows what it will involve, maybe sandpaper, probably conkers. Whatever it is, I personally guarantee your money back if you actually learn something.”

WHERE: Laughing Horse @ City Cafe (Venue 85)

WHEN: 16:15 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

It’s my fifth year – second time doing a full hour long show though. Last year’s show was the award nominated ‘Olaf Falafel and The Cheese Of Truth’ it was also at The City Cafe at 4:15pm so I’m back to hopefully prove it wasn’t all a fluke!

Tell us about your show.

The new show is more good clean stupid surreal fun. There will be some educational sections, for example explaining about the origins of belly button fluff but mostly the show will revolve around my love of cleaning product-based musical instruments.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

I’m really looking forward to seeing Michael Stranney’s debut hour ‘Welcome to Ballybeg’ – we shared a show a few years ago so it’ll be great to see what his alter ego Daniel Duffy has been up to.

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+3 Interview: Gutted

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“It’s dynamic, real, life affirming, honest, and it makes people giggle too. “

WHO: Tara Robinson, Co-creator / Director

WHAT: “Liz has got an embarrassing problem and these yogurts aren’t helping; her body’s acting up. After sell-out performances at HOME Manchester and a national tour of hospitals, Liz Richardson shares her real life experiences living as a twenty-something with ulcerative colitis (an inflammatory bowel disease) in this shameless tale of love, laughter and lavatories. Co-created by Tara Robinson and described by audience members as tight, witty and compelling, Gutted is a frank and funny exploration of our relationship to our bodies when they fail us.”

WHERE: Pleasance Dome (Venue 23)

WHEN: 14:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

Yes, first time with a show of my own…

Tell us about your show.

Gutted is about a young twenty-something girl living her life with a chronic bowel illness. It’s about the embarrassment that brings, the people who make it bearable and the things that you find yourself laughing about. It’s a one-woman show featuring Liz Richardson, co-created with me Tara Robinson, and is based on Liz’s own real life experiences. It’s dynamic, real, life affirming, honest, and it makes people giggle too.

It’s a co-production between HOME Manchester and The Conker Group, and is also being produced by Making Room. We premiered the show last year at HOME to sell-out audiences and enjoyed a tour of UK hospitals later in the year. We’re booking a theatre tour for Spring 2018 at the moment so if you’re not in Edinburgh, look out for us nearby…

Gutted has got a bit of everything – laughs, frankness, authenticity, a love story (not soppy), and a bit of education – which itself makes it something of a winner, but it’s also a show about how we deal with shit. We think that’s universal.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

I’m excited about so much: Kieran Hurley’s “Heads Up”, fanSHEN’s “Lists for the End of the World”, Touretteshero “Not I”, Rachel Mars “Our Carnal Hearts”… too many to choose.

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